Smoking weed tends to irritate even experienced smokers. If you’ve experienced a clogged throat after smoking weed, you’re not alone. If you’re wondering, “why does my throat feel clogged after smoking weed?”, here’s what you need to know before smoking your next joint or bong.
Photo: Pexels
Why Does Weed Cause a Clogged Throat?
Reddit is filled with stoners complaining about having a clogged throat after smoking weed.
One Reddit user said, after smoking weed there is a “ton of mucus in my throat which feels annoying and takes away from the high.”
In another thread, one stoner said, “I’ve been smoking daily for about 2 years now. I do everything except dabs and stuff with tobacco or nicotine in it. In the past few months I’ve noticed a lot of mucus build up in my throat that I can’t seem to cough up.”
So, why are stoners stuck with clogged throats?
Well, it’s no secret that weed smoke can affect your lungs, throat, and mouth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), smoking weed can increase mucus production.
Dr. David Berger, owner of Wholistic ReLeaf, and Dr. David, MD, and Wholistic Pediatrics and Family Care tells us more about that why this mucus production happens.
Berger explains that due to throat irritation from smoking, the body creates mucus to soothe the throat.
He also says that the smoke could be irritating the back of the nose, resulting in nasal mucus which causes a post-nasal drip. In other words, the mucus starts to drip into your throat causing a clogged feeling and even coughing.
In addition to that, smoking weed has been linked to bronchitis.
Healthline says, “…regularly smoking cannabis can lead to chronic bronchitis. Bronchitis is considered chronic if you have coughing and mucus for at least 3 months for 2 consecutive years.”
Besides irritation and bronchitis, you may be allergic to marijuana.
Berger tells us that some people can have an allergy to a protein in cannabis that stimulates mucus production that may lead to a post-nasal drip and therefore a clogged throat.
What Can Help Your Throat After Smoking Weed?
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent and treat your clogged throat.
According to the CDC, quitting weed usually leads to an improvement in symptoms.
If you don’t want to quit weed you can find other methods of using weed that are easier on your throat.
In addition, you could opt for some over-the-counter medication.
Berger explains, “There are soothing throat sprays, or throat drops that can be used. If it’s an allergy then allergy medicines could help.”
Why Does My Throat Hurt After Smoking Weed?
There are several reasons your throat could hurt after you smoke weed.
For example, if you’re recovering from an illness like mono, smoking weed is likely to irritate your throat and cause it to hurt.
Weed can also cause your mouth and throat to be dry, even mimicking symptoms of dehydration.
The dryness of your throat, coupled with the smoke and the compounds in weed can lead to a sore throat which can cause pain.
You can resolve this by opting for medication that suppresses the pain or soothe your throat.
You can also opt for other methods of cannabis delivery that are easier on your throat.
Why Does My Throat Burn After Smoking Weed?
According to Berger, the same reasons why your throat is clogged may be the same reason your throat is burning.
In other words, the smoke is irritating.
You can remedy the burning by sucking on a lozenge, drinking water, or having some soothing warm tea.
In addition, you could find other ways to use weed that is gentler on your throat such as opting for edibles, bong, or dab pen.
Berger recommends finding a different cultivar or delivery method such as dry herb vaping or vape concentrates especially solvent-free live rosin.
Weed may also be burning your throat because of its low quality. Low-quality weed tends to be harsh when smoked.
Berger tells us that cannabis will be harsher if it’s not properly dried, cured, or stored.
If you’re not sure how to spot low-quality weed so you can avoid it in the future, Royal Queen Seeds say to look at the color. Low-quality weed tends to have a lot of brown and generally won’t be as colorful as better-quality weed.
In addition to that, Royal Queen Seeds also mention that low-quality weed feels wispy or flaky. In terms of smell, you should notice a distinct lack of smell.
There are other reasons your throat may burn after smoking weed.
As Berger points out some cultivars are naturally harsher. In that case, you can always opt for one that is gentler on your throat.
Berger also tells us that smoking moldy weed could be the cause of the burning. If you suspect you have moldy weed, just toss it.
Takeaway
So, why does your throat feel clogged after smoking weed? Chances are the smoke is irritating your throat or the back of your nose causing mucus production. You can just opt for other methods of using weed that are less harsh than smoking such as vaping or taking an edible. You can also grab a throat spray for the next time. If throat burning is a bigger problem for you, while irritation could also be the culprit, watch out for the quality of weed that you’re smoking. Finally, being allergic to weed, bronchitis, and moldy weed could affect your throat and make your smoking experience unpleasant. Remember, you have options when it comes to cannabis consumption, if one doesn’t work for you, you can always try another.
